Superpower Series

by Jeremy Sirota, CEO of Merlin, July 2, 2024

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 Lawrence Peryer, 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 & 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝘁 23 Media Ventures LLC, 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺-𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴.

My superpower is multidimensional problem-solving: the ability to see challenges from various angles by blending insights from creativity, business, and technology.

At every point in my career, I’ve used my superpower to fulfill my personal mission: bringing fans closer to the artists and experiences they love.

My career has straddled the worlds of entertainment and tech. I need to move seamlessly among creatives and business people. My mind operates like a prism. It refracts problems through different lenses until a unique solution emerges. This often leads to innovative approaches that others might overlook. This superpower has been crucial in navigating (and causing) industry disruptions and driving growth.

At Warner Music Group, I applied this ability to transform an underleveraged division into a revenue powerhouse and strategic differentiator. By reimagining artist services through a creative-tech lens, we boosted revenue and margins while delivering more expansive solutions to our artist and label partners.

This thinking helped pivot the company I worked with during the pandemic—protecting revenue and securing significant venture funding when the live events industry was at a standstill.

In my work with music artists, I help them think about their art and IP in fresh ways, develop exciting products and opportunities that their fans will love (and did not even know they wanted), and serve to deepen the artist/fan connection.

To cultivate this superpower:
1. Feed your curiosity across diverse fields. Don’t limit yourself to your immediate industry. Good ideas come from everywhere.
2. Practice viewing problems from multiple stakeholders’ perspectives and engaging with people from different backgrounds to broaden your viewpoint.
3. Intentionally brainstorm solutions from creative, business, and technological angles. Don’t be afraid to spend time exploring ideas only to discard them. It’s part of the process.

Of course, superpowers are usually double-edged. While multidimensional thinking leads to innovative solutions, it can sometimes cause my initial explanations to seem complex or unconventional or create communication challenges with linear thinkers. The key is learning to distill complex ideas into clear, actionable insights. Or to go work in “strategy” – or at a think-tank.

I have learned so much from embracing the intersections in my life and work, be that where disciplines meet or where people of varied backgrounds come together. That’s where the interesting things happen.